Sports wire

Saturday

Jun 30, 2012 at 12:01 AMJun 30, 2012 at 11:40 AM

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has filed formal charges against Lance Armstrong, accusing the seven-time Tour de France winner of using performance-enhancing drugs throughout the best years of his career.

Cycling

Doping charges formally levied against Armstrong by USADA

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has filed formal charges against Lance Armstrong, accusing the seven-time Tour de France winner of using performance-enhancing drugs throughout the best years of his career.

The agency notified Armstrong, his former team manager Johan Bruyneel and several other Armstrong team associates of the charges in a letter on Thursday.

The charges came after a USADA review panel reviewed the evidence. The case now goes to an arbitration panel to decide.

Armstrong attorney Robert Luskin yesterday called the charges “wrong and baseless.”

Armstrong, who has never failed a doping test, has denied the charges.

The letter accuses Armstrong of using, possessing and trafficking banned substances, including the blood-booster EPO, blood transfusions and steroids. The charges date to 1998, after he had been declared cancer free but before his first Tour de France victory the following summer.

• Cadel Evans said he thinks one Tour de France title will make it easier to win another one. And he’s ready to add that second championship right now.

Evans opens his title defense when the 99th edition of cycling’s marquee race begins today with a quick, 4-mile prologue in Liege, Belgium — an individual time trial expected to be dominated by specialists such as Fabien Cancellara of Switzerland and Tony Martin of Germany, or Bradley Wiggins of Britain.

Elsewhere

Heat’s Bosh withdraws from Olympics to heal

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh still is hurting, and his Olympic plans are being pushed aside so he can heal.

Bosh told USA Basketball that he is withdrawing from consideration for the London Games so he can continue recovering from a strained abdominal muscle that forced him to miss a portion of his team’s run to the NBA championship.Bosh announced the decision through his agent, a day after Heat teammate Dwyane Wade pulled out of the Olympic mix because of looming surgery on his left knee.

• Guard Mo Williams will be reunited with the Utah Jazz as part of a four-team deal that will send Lamar Odom back to Los Angeles for a second chance with the Clippers.

The deal initially was believed to involve only three teams, but a fourth, the Houston Rockets, got involved after Thursday’s draft. The Rockets received the rights to Clippers second-round pick Furkan Aldemir, and the Jazz sent the team’s trade exception to Dallas. The Mavericks also received cash considerations from Houston.

Williams must pass a physical but is expected to hold a news conference in Salt Lake City on Monday or Tuesday.

• Georgia sophomore tailback Isaiah Crowell was dismissed from the team by coach Mark Richt after he was arrested on felony weapons charges. Police found a gun in Crowell’s vehicle early yesterday morning.

• Erin Andrews is leaving ESPN. A favorite among fans, Andrews covered numerous sports for the network since 2004, often as a sideline reporter for college football and basketball. SI.com has reported that she is being pursued by Fox Sports.

— From wire reports

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